Broken Family Tree
by Mystical Sand
Summary: After the final battle, TK remembers how his parents' divorce affected his family. Some MattTK brotherly moments.


Disclaimer:  I do not own _Digimon_ or any of the characters used in this fic.  No profit is being made. 

A/N: Many details will not be completely accurate.  Besides making up a bunch of lines for various scenes in the first season, I lost my tapes of the second a long time ago and don't remember exactly how the last few episodes turned out.

Broken Family Tree 

            TK sat next to a sleeping Patamon in his living room flipping through TV channels.  Every now and then a program caught his attention, and he would stop to watch it for a few minutes before raising the remote once more and continuing the process.  What caught his eye about these certain programs were images of the perfect family: mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers.  Pictures of perfection and love.  His own family had been like that once, but that was years ago.  The memories had dimmed so much over the years.  His parents had divorced, and his world was torn apart at a very young age.

TK wasn't one to dwell on the past.  He wouldn't even be thinking about this much at all if not for their last battle to save the world.  For a few moments, his greatest wish had been fulfilled.  His whole family was back together, and they were all happy.  They were all sitting down to dinner.  TK's parents talked of their day while he and Matt held their own conversation about girls, sports, and the elder brother's band.  Everything was so perfect.  TK couldn't wish for anything more.  Then, just like that, it was all ripped away once again.

He realized that this was only a hallucination brought about by their enemy to make him drop his guard.  Patamon pulled him out of the fantasy, but he still could not shake the images of what he had lost from his mind.  Not having to save two worlds between homework at least once every week gave him more time to think about this.  He remembered the day that his father left with Matt.

_//Flashback//_

The young boy starred at his father and older brother who were both holding suitcases.  He did not completely understand what was happening, but he felt the tension between the others in the room.

His father bent down to hug him one last time.  It was then that little TK started crying.  "Don't leave me!" he suddenly screamed.  

His father picked him up and tried to get him to calm down.  "Shhh, it's alright," he told his youngest son.  "We'll see you again this weekend.  You'll have a sleepover with Matt at the new house."  He rubbed his back and bounced him a little trying to stop the small boy's crying.  It took several minutes of this coaxing, but TK eventually calmed down.

Matt came up to him next.  Tears were forming in his older brother's eyes, but he refused to let them fall.  TK then felt ashamed of his own outburst.  He wanted to be strong for his brother so he just hugged him back without saying anything.

When Matt and his father got in the car and left, TK stood back with his mother.  He waved to them and bit his lip to keep from crying again.

_//End Flashback//_

It took TK a long time to get used to the new circumstances.  He no longer had his brother to play with him every day or his father to read to him every night.  His mother tried to make up for what was lost, but it just was not the same.

TK still saw Matt on weekends, but their relationship changed over the years.  His brother grew cold and distant, even towards him.  TK often wondered if Matt had stopped caring about him.  The two just did not spend enough time together to be as close as they once were.  Until the first time they went to the Digital World.  He thought about the bus ride to camp.

_//Flashback//_

"Are we almost there, Matt?" he asked his brother.

"It will be a while yet.  Why don't you go back to playing your video game?"  Matt had his arms crossed and only starred at the seat in front of him.

"I'm really looking forward to camp, aren't you?"

"Whatever."

The younger boy could not think of anything else to say at the moment and gave up.  He knew Matt didn't like to talk much to anyone these days.  He had changed so much over the years.

_//End Flashback//_

Matt may have had a hard time showing his emotions, but there were little things he did to let TK know he still cared about him.  He held his brother's hand as they walked through the Digital World for the first time.  He asked Gabumon to sleep next to him so that he would stay warm.  He played his harmonica to help him fall asleep.  But it was only when Matt risked his life to save him from Seadramon that TK was convinced that his brother still loved him.  After all, Matt didn't risk messing up his hair for just anyone.

From there they began rebuilding their relationship.  The two brothers grew even closer than they had been before the divorce.

With these improvements came the faith that their parents could rebuild their own relationship and everything would go back to the way it used to be in the real world.  The way it was supposed to be.  

Matt had a more realistic opinion of the situation, but TK would not give up.  He couldn't help it.  He was young, and he was the bearer of hope.  There had to be a way to reunite the two, and his optimism seemed rewarded right before they left their own world once again after finding Kari.

_//Flashback//_

"Look Matt!" the young boy grinned in delight as he and the others were pulled back into the Digital World.  "Do you see Mom and Dad?  They're holding hands!  They've gotten along so much better since we came back, haven't they?  Do you think they'll get back together?"

"TK…" his older brother started but really did not know what to say.  He believed it would be easier on the kid if he was disillusioned as soon as possible.  At a complete loss for words at the moment, Matt could only shake his head.

TK was disappointed but something in his brother's eyes told him that there was no chance of a reconciliation between their parents.  For the first time he even began to accept it.  His older brother was always right, and if not even the events of the last few days could convince him otherwise, there really was no hope.  Once their purpose in the Digital World was fulfilled, the two brothers would go back to only seeing each other on weekends.  Could this destroy the bond they had formed on their adventures?  TK would have cried if he were not about to face a mysterious new danger, but he knew he needed to be strong.

_//End Flashback//_

At that moment, TK turned from the television and starred at his digimon who was lying next to him on the couch, still sound asleep.  He remembered when Patamon noticed all those years ago how the two brothers always tried to stick together.  The child was embarrassed when his friend brought it up, but he knew it was true.  He and Matt were inseparable. Or at least they were until Puppetmon and the other Dark Masters managed to turn the chosen children against each other.

Matt even left the group for a while to go off on his own.  TK remembered how guilty he felt; he believed he had driven his brother away.  The bearer of hope often played the events of those past few days over in his mind and thought of what he should have done differently.  Maybe he could have prevented his brother from leaving.  This kept him up late at night too.  He wanted to talk to Matt again and see if he was okay.  He feared what might happen to him if he ran into one of the Dark Masters.  Would he and Gabumon be able to handle the situation if they were attacked?  What if they were hurt?  What if the two brothers never saw each other again?  The young boy wondered if Matt would ever forgive him or if he had stopped caring about his younger sibling.

TK did not have to worry however.  Matt and the others eventually came back safe and sound.  His older brother smiled as he ran to hug him.  Matt picked TK up and promised to never leave him again.  The young boy could tell that his brother was happy to see him, and when TK was in danger and needed guidance, their bond proved to be as strong as ever.

_//Flashback//_

TK held onto Kari's hand as they fell from the rope.  He had failed to protect her.  He had failed Matt and the others.  Angemon was defeated, and there was no way he could help any of his friends now.  Two worlds would be destroyed because he lacked the strength to beat Piedmon.  

The bearer of hope had just about given up.  "I'm so sorry Matt," he whispered as he fell. When he thought of his older brother, TK felt a renewed hope.  What would Matt do?  He would have found a way out of this; TK was sure of it.  He took the doll of his sibling that Sora had tossed him in his hands.  Instantly, the voice of his brother began speaking to him.  That voice encouraged him.  It told him of his brother's faith in him and that he needed to believe in himself as well.  Matt's words gave TK the strength to continue and make Angemon digivolve again so he could defeat Piedmon and restore the others to normal.

_//End Flashback//_

The relationship between the two brothers ended up saving the world at it had saved Matt not long before.  Gabumon had told the younger sibling about what happened in the dark cave.  Once Matt realized that TK loved him for who he was and that he did not have to compete with Tai for his brother's admiration, he was able to expel the darkness in his own heart.

Their relationship did not weaken when they came back to the real world.  If anything, it got better.  TK moved closer to his father and Matt.  The change had been difficult at first, but it was worth it.  The brothers were able to see each other more often.  But even with all of these improvements, things could never go back to the way they were.

The doorbell rang, bringing TK out of his reverie, but it did not disturb the sleeping Patamon.  The blond boy got up from the couch after turning off the television to see who it was.  When he opened the door, Matt stood before him.

"Hey kid," his older brother said to him before stepping inside.  "So where's Mom?"

"She's working late tonight.  What's up?"

"Davis told me you were feeling down lately.  I think he's worried about you."  Matt paused for a moment.  "He told me about your vision.  The one where our parents got back together."

"You're not going to lecture me, are you?  I know it will never happen, Matt, but part of me still wants things to go back to the way they were."

"I do too," the elder brother admitted.  They stood in silence for a few moments.  "But TK, even if they never remarry, I hope you know that I'll be there for you no matter what happens.  You've always been my best friend, and nothing can change that."

"Thanks Matt," TK replied.  Talking to his brother always made him feel better some how.  No matter how bad the situation was, TK knew he could count on Matt to make sense of things.

The older boy broke the tension of that moment.  "So, how about a game of basketball?"

"Sure, but you know I'll win."

"Don't be so overconfident.  I did teach you how to play the game, after all."

TK grinned.  "Yeah, but I am now the star player of my school team.  I'll wipe the floor with you."  He remembered how happy he had been when Matt agreed to teach him how to play.  TK used to practice for hours after his brother went home for the night.  Eventually, he became even better than the elder sibling.  He recalled with pride the first time he beat Matt in a game without the other boy having to go easy on him.

The two brothers went out to the hoop in the back yard.  TK savored these times alone with Matt.  Playing together, they seemed like any other siblings.  Eventually his brother would have to leave for home, but at that moment, they were just grateful for the time they did have together.


End file.
